23 Comments
Jun 27, 2022Liked by Dan Jones

Brilliant writing, Dan, it's always lovely to see a new email pop up in my inbox from my favourite historian.

An interesting (if useless) bit of information for you - I have two whippets and their pedigree names are WOTR inspired, Lady Taiyo Beaufort is a red brindle and Lady Kumo Woodville is blue and white.

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Interesting and insightful as ever Dan. WOTR isn’t exactly my forte but if this discussion leads to a follow up to The Hollow Crown, I’m game.

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Thank you Dan for the delightful bits as always. Still can’t get over the fact that you are the ‘Richard III was evil’ kind of a historian but you’re still my favourite one😹

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"Hollow Crown"? Yes, Tom Hiddleston was great as Henry V.

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I grew up near Towton (about half an hours drive away) so I've always had an interest in the War of the Roses.

There's a nice battlefield walk their now. Start off over the road from Dacre's Cross down a narrow path on the edge of the field and there is a board describing the archers firing into the Lancastrian ranks. Pop back over the road and follow the boards around from the cross. You can even get down to the Cock Beck and let your imagination run riot picturing masses of bodies and blood red water. Then back up onto London Road and nip into the Rockingham Arms for a bevy before picking the path running along the road back up to the cross.

Head down into Saxton where you'll find the church where Dacre's tomb is. There is also a nice pub (the name escapes me) near the church.

Just down from Towton opposite the Crooked Billet (does a cracking Sunday lunch) is Lead Church, well worth a walk over the fields.

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Wow! A lot to unpack here! What I love most is the questioning of convention...like the challenge that maybe Henry V would not have been the perfect two-kingdom ruler. As long as we continue to have open conversations and explore new evidence and challenge expected norms, we’ll continue to shape the view of the past. Very exciting!!!!

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Dan, can you please bring your gangsta-historian vibe to Towton in order to make this battlefield more interesting? I’ve read the comprehensive info behind the perspex plaque there on a number of occasions but it’s not stirring anything in me. All sort of biznez went down but I’m not feeling the vibe- can you advise?

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I’m also reminded of a line spoken by Henry II in The Lion in Winter about Richard “ whenever he’s not off killing someone” - kind of sums up the whole Plantagenet thing … a most contentious and violent line - and yet what beautiful architecture they left behind. And a rich history that never fails to fascinate.

PS Happy Birthday Henry VIII

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Hi Dan

Full respect to The battle of Towton. Fought on a bitterly cold night in March and estimated to have killed nearly 30,000 - 1% of the population- the horrors perpetrated there must be among the worst British history will ever see.

Actually it would make a great future thread - Worst Acts committed on British soil - or is that a bit dark?

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1st thought- in an age where the primary occupation of any one not in the peasant class or clergy is warfare - when you’re done routing the French - where does one turn? Start bashing each other it seems.

2nd thought - a series of minority aged rulers coupled with an abundance of royal uncles - thanks Edward and Phillipa - surely a recipe for never ending power struggles. And no wonder it all culminated with poor sweet Henry VI and his mental derangement creating the vacuum that allowed the Brothers York to capitalize.

Finally - I read and listened to the Wars of the Roses which sorted everything out nicely.

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Style Comment: I like the Bold Face points, seems new, makes reading easier. And really its always a bad sign when the demons and dragons take over, no?

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What if Henry V had lived longer? How would 15th century England been different/the same? Would Henry VI's apparent weaknesses still have left a power vacuum to be filled by the Yorkists, Warwick, the Beauforts, et al? Fun speculation

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I love the point you make about the combined crown of France and England being a poison prize, always sought, but turning out to be - always - a curse and a precursor to tragedy. (Wait, that is what you meant, right?)

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Henry VI might have been a half decent king if Henry V had lived long enough to teach him kingship.

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